Steph Curry and Luka Doncic as the top two backcourt options makes complete sense. Tonight marks the first-ever game between Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Liddell (right knee ACL injury recovery). Data Provided By Austin Reaves and Russell Westbrook are All-Stars but the Los Angeles Lakers only have a 17-21 record? Among players to log at least 500 games, McCollum's 19.4 points per game scoring average ranks No. Every ticket you donate goes to someone who wouldnt have been able to see the Blazers play without you! . Combining for 62 PTS, @CJMcCollum (33p/8r/5a) & @Dame_Lillard (29p/4r/6a) propel the @trailblazers to a 2-0 series lead! McCollum knows he is enough. #RipCity #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/gx5FvsyBgy. CJ . The days and weeks to come wouldnt be as celebratory. This was no longer the case in 2019-20, with the unorthodox, truncated NBA Restart leaving teams unable to play over a four-month span from mid-March to late-July. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. He just doesnt know if he will be there solely to take meetings as the president of the NBA Players Association or if his trip to Salt Lake City will serve a dual purpose. I mean. On the box score, Game Threes 140-137 win would likely suffice. It paid off tonight, Ingram told The Athletic. Or write about sports? [65], On December 7, 2021, McCollum was diagnosed with a pneumothorax and was ruled out indefinitely. [2] On August 7, 2021, he was elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Chris Paul. He is a willing listener. [16] On February 8, McCollum posted a season-high 19 points in a 117110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's borderline laughable but, as with real estate's main rule, location dictates that's just how it goes sometimes for small-market stars. Lillard could offer some advice on how to deal with it. Taking care of business for the players. If it happens, thats great. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. [3] He played in 33 games, starting in 31, and averaged 19.1 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. Channeling his inner Mike Tyson, McCollum delivered one of his more entertaining moments, sharing a fun moment with Lillard and Lisa Salters. The Center aims to provide a safe and inspiring space for underserved youth to learn, explore, create, and grow. When Dame was out this year, his usage spiked and he put up great numbers. If you look at the numbers, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is easily an All-Star caliber player. Despite. [41] McCollum would play in 80 games and start in all of them while averaging 21.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a night. Across their eight-and-half year reign together, the two combined for 29,367 points a lot of regular season and postseason buckets combined along with three 50-win seasons, eight postseason appearances, once upon a time the NBAs longest active streak, and an immeasurable amount of memories. 10). The epitaph on this partnerships life cycle had started in the lead-up to their First Round meeting against Russell Westbrook, Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder. That didn't stop Lillard from scoring 41 points, his 13th time this season with 40-plus. Damian Lillard. Michael Reaves/Getty Images) I would say this is the most unique position we've been in probably since I was traded here, to be honest. The peak of that stretch came in a 128-126 thriller over the Houston Rockets, in which McCollum poured in 44 points, eight assists and nine 3-pointers, and Lillard provided reinforcement with 32 points, five rebounds and nine assists, the last of which proved to be the most important. Theres no easy pick which game led to the fastest heartbeat; each was packed with pressure and high-stakes implications. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. September 19, Itll be what its going to be.. Jan 4, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts to a three point shot against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Smoothie King Center. Just long, athletic guys all over the place. Obviously, thats a tough matchup for anybody. McCollum: 'More than just a basketball player', "Magic's Oladipo among rookie favorites to stand out in 201314", "Trail Blazers assign CJ McCollum to D-League", "Trail Blazers Exercise Team Options On Meyers Leonard And CJ McCollum", "Grizzlies advance, beating Trail Blazers 9993 in Game 5", "Trail Blazers Exercise Team Options On McCollum, Plumlee and Vonleh", "McCollum scores 37 as Blazers down Pelicans 11294", "McCollum scores 35 as Trail Blazers beat Kings 9894", "Randolph leads Grizzlies to 9178 win over Trail Blazers", "CJ McCollum to Compete in Foot Locker Three-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend", "McCollum has 30 as Trail Blazers beat Kings 115107", "Playoff destination sealed, Blazers beat Nuggets 10799", "Blazers' McCollum named Kia NBA Most Improved Player", "Splash Brothers Curry, Thompson send Warriors to West finals", "Trail Blazers Sign CJ McCollum to Contract Extension", "Lillard scores 39, Blazers run home-opening win streak to 16", "Lillard hits floater, Blazers beat Nuggets 115113 in OT", "McCollum matches career high, Blazers beat Grizzlies 10094", "McCollum scores 33 points, Trail Blazers beat Nets 129109", "George has 37 points to lead Pacers over Blazers 118111", "McCollum has 43 points, Trail Blazers top Timberwolves 9589", "Vucevic's season-high 30 lead Magic past Blazers, 115109", "McCollum's winner sends Blazers past Mavs 114113", "Blazers beat Nuggets to take 1-game lead for 8th seed", "Durant shines in Warriors playoff debut in Game 1 win", "Blazers hand Suns worst loss ever in season opener, 12476", "McCollum's scores 28 in Blazers' 11496 win over Pacers", "Evans, Conley help Grizzlies hold off Trail Blazers 9897", "McCollum helps Blazers to 108105 comeback win over Wizards", "McCollum scores 32, leads Blazers over Bulls 124120 in OT", "McCollum scores 50 in 3 quarters, Blazers beat Bulls 124108", "MarShon Brooks scores 21 as Grizzlies beat Blazers 108103", "Davis' 47 points leads Pelicans to sweep of Trail Blazers", "McCollum scores 40 as Trail Blazers beat Bucks 118103", "Conley leads late rally as Grizzlies defeat Portland 9283", "Lillard scores 33, Trail Blazers top Mavericks 121118 in OT", "McCollum leads Trail Blazers in 12995 rout of 76ers", "George nets 36, Westbrook 29 as Thunder tops Blazers 123114", "McCollum has triple-double, Trail Blazers beat Hawks 120111", "Leonard hits winner, Raptors beat Trail Blazers 119117", "Lillard scores 30 points, Trail Blazers beat Nuggets 115108", "Blazers go up 21 after 140137 win in 4 OTs over Denver", "Blazers force Game 7 with 119108 victory over Denver", "McCollum leads Blazers past Nuggets 10096", "Warriors beat Blazers 119117 in OT for NBA Finals berth", "Trail Blazers vs. For Lillard and McCollum, that cohesion was at its most prolific in the spring of 2019. 6. "Me knowing him the way I know him, I wanted to make sure we set the tone early.". Lillard, ultimately named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Restart in the Orlando bubble, wasnt lacking in motivation. He attended Glendora High School in Glendora, California, where he played basketball. [50] On December 23, in a game against the Warriors, McCollum moved past Damon Stoudamire (717) into fifth on the Blazers' career list for 3-pointers. My teammates did a good job of finding me and giving me those opportunities. [57] In Game 6, he scored 30 points in a 119108 win, helping the Blazers tie the series against the Nuggets at 33. 7. You could argue I should have made it in previous years. [28], McCollum helped the Blazers claim victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 42, in the first round of the playoffs. Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are totally understandable choices. All rights reserved. The series itself wasnt anything to speak of, but it served as one of the many times in which anything felt possible because both players were on at the same time. CJ McCollum Getting Snubbed in NBA All-Star Voting - Sports Illustrated New Orleans Pelicans News, Analysis, and More CJ McCollum Getting Snubbed By NBA All-Star Game Voters CJ. The 3.9 pull-up jumpers hes making per contest are the 10th-most in the NBA. Both Anthony and McCollum deserved to be reserved in the All-Star game this year if we look at the output both of them have put out. CJ McCollum is one of the most under-appreciated stars in the NBA. Ingram also made his presence felt on defense with active off-ball rotations and solid on-ball work 1-on-1. Schooling the Thunder once in Game One was to get the monkey of their respective backs; to do it again would be sending a message. His 11 three-pointers were a Pelicans franchise record for the most three-pointers made in a game. Long before they teamed up in Portland, McCollum (Lehigh University) and Lillard (Weber State University) took turns leading the nation in scoring. Zion Williamson (9) and Brandon Ingram (23) have missed a combined 32 games and counting. Can you help us send children in need to see the Blazers play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, March 29th? For the first time in 16 months, that pairing this generations most impactful Blazers duo will share the floor together once more in what promises to be an emotional outing. We believed in the gameplan, and it wasnt about who gets the credit. (Photo of the picture on the wall via Will Guillory / The Athletic). [6] In 2012, the Mountain Hawks beat the Duke Blue Devils, 7570, in the school's first ever victory at the NCAA Division I tournament, during which McCollum posted a game-high 30 points; this marked only the sixth time in the history of the tournament that a team seeded 15th defeated a team seeded second. CJ McCollum will be in attendance for NBA All-Star Weekend in February. Vote here: https://n. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports. McCollum evolved with the Pull-Up podcast and as a wine connoisseur, to name a few of his interests. The first-ever Playoffs series win vs. the Clippers in 2016. -The first set of fan votes are in for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. 1 all-time for players never making an appearance in the star-studded exhibition game.. He has been a marquee name for over a decade and since becoming a starter in 2015 McCollum has averaged over 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 40% shooting behind the arc. Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). [62] McCollum matched his season-high on March 2, scoring 41 points in a 130107 win over the Orlando Magic. The fans obliged and the Pelicans saw out a 127-116 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Throwing different looks, scrambling (and) multiple efforts.. Among some highlights: The chemistry proved tangible. The NBPA President has 21 games to change minds. A couple hundred tickets remain, and three days. [47] In Game 4 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, McCollum scored 38 points in a 131123 loss. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [74] It is co-hosted by ESPN analyst Jordan Schultz. McCollum scored a season-high 42 points to go along with a franchise-record 11 made three-pointers. [72] On December 30, McCollum scored 42 points on 11 three-pointers in a 127116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He deployed Herb Jones at center in small lineups for much of the fourth quarter and attempted to disrupt the Lillard pick-and-roll by throwing multiple coverages at him. The year after the Blazers drafted Lillard No. There was a problem saving your notification. Sources: 2021 NBA All-Star reserves:West: Chris Paul, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson, Anthony DavisEast: James Harden, Julius Randle, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic. No Blazer had recorded numbers on par with McCollum's near triple-double in the last 29 years (Clyde Drexler posted 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists or more on five occasions. It's an undeserving slight given McCollum's career and current season. To close with a fun fact: from 2015-16 to 2021-22, only eight players averaged 20+ every season; McCollum and Lillard were the only duo to have done so. He signed his rookie scale contract with the franchise on July 11,[13] and he proceeded to play for them in the NBA Summer League, averaging 21 points and 4 rebounds per game. He has nine years of those experiences working alongside Damian Lillard. Ingram's personal update explained how it would be hard to tell exactly when he'd be ready. McCollum has repeatedly stressed not being too reactive to the ebbs and flows of the NBA season, a message that has permeated throughout the roster. Igniting the rally, he and McCollum combined for 30 points in the second half on the way to a 114-94 win. [75][76] In a March 2020 episode of the podcast, McCollum was recording when he received news that the NBA was suspending the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 in minutes played (15,750) with McCollum at No. To begin the night, the Pelicans had McCollum guarding the red-hot Lillard, who entered the game averaging 38.7 points over the previous 20 games. I understand the work he puts in and he understands the work I put in, and we continue to empower each other., CJ McCollum says he doesnt care if he never makes an All-Star Game, heres why, McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. Poole has not and the Warriors still sport a 3-16 record away from home. The "Midsummer Classic" was set for July 13 at Truist Park, home . If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. On April 16, 2017, Portland lost 121109 to the Warriors in Game 1 of the first-round series; yet McCollum's 41 points during the game was his postseason career-best and made him only the eighth Blazer with a 40-point playoff performance. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Towards the climax of that stretch, Lillard, in the middle of the 51-point game against Utah (of course), stepped to the free throw line, awaiting the ball before a familiar chant orchestrated by McCollum and Carmelo Anthony broke out: The entire arena gives Dame MVP chants after his 51-point game pic.twitter.com/kUZ4Fpv692. The Chris Haynes Interview on ESPN March 2018. It's about respecting the game, playing hard and giving all you've got.". Willie Green Wins Coach of the Month Award, Smoothie King Center Sell-Outs Now Normal, Pelicans Fans: NBA All-Star Voting Is Live, Pelicans Issue Update On Zion Williamson's Injury, CJ McCollum Shares Thoughts On Injury Bug, Pelicans Trade Market Index: Case For Keeping Current Squad. Two nights later, he had 38 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. But as long as we remain solid and be us, then we are going to be all right.. In subsequent press conferences, the two would even grow to develop similar mannerisms, complementing one another along the way. The Pelicans star forward finished the win with a season-high 40 points while also chipping in six rebounds and five assists. Describing life as a score-first backcourt, and how to manage when one player is hot, how to take a step back, and how they stacked up amongst NBA historys top backcourts. '. But desperation also provides a much-needed opportunity to think outside the box and generate positive results. Staying confident in everything that Im doing. The ball was in his hands down the stretch, I had no problem with it win or lose. "It's cool to compete against your peers and your friends and people that you respect and you worked with. [63], On December 26, 2020, McCollum scored a season-high 44 points, along with a game-winning three-pointer, in a 128126 overtime win against the Houston Rockets. Although McCollum has only played 13 games and has been sidelined dealing with a foot injury, he was averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Trail Blazers. Things got even more difficult as Lillard repeatedly roasted Willy Hernangomez, forcing the replacement Pelicans center to move his feet out in space. He was an All-Star just once. This stood in contrast to the previous regime of Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, with the latter being more reclusive, or that of say, Rasheed Wallace and Scottie Pippen, given the Jail Blazers storyline and the subsequent temperature of the media. I Broke My Back, Spinal! Play-In Game, 2020 vs. MEM. Gambling problem? Long pigeonholed into the very good but not-good-enough category of a team's second-best . John Amis/Associated Press. The Most Valuable McCollum leads the MVP chants for Lillard Feb. 2, 2020. He picked apart every coverage the Blazers threw at him and turned in one of the most efficient scoring performances of his career. We were able to get to it and we liked what we saw. Listed as out for the Pelicans are Zion Williamson (right hamstring strain), Dyson Daniels (right ankle sprain) and E.J. That's what the game is about. We came out and just competed, played hard. Damian Lillard spoke about the Blazers trading CJ McCollum pic.twitter.com/KGgKUasAex.